Sotto files bill requiring government workers to annually submit a medical certificate showing fitness to work
Sotto files bill requiring government workers to annually submit a medical certificate showing fitness to work
Senator
Vicente Sotto III has filed Senate
Bill No. 1818 or “Fit-to-Work Act,” requiring public
official and employees to submit a medical certificate to prove that they are
fit to work yearly.
It
is the mandate of public officers and employees to serve the people with utmost
responsibility and efficiency at all times. Intelligence and skills alone are
not enough to carry out this sworn duty. A good state of health is of equal
importance and a critical factor in discharging one’s function, yet often
overlooked.
Meanwhile,
the Philippine National Police (PNP) already implemented the mandatory Annual
Physical Examination (APE) and Physical Fitness Test for PNP personnel.
In
the PNP guidelines, all uniformed personnel with the age of 39 years and below
to undergo the PFT at least once a year preferably on the first (1st) week of
their birth month.
Thus,
any PNP personnel who fails to comply with APE or PFT will be held liable for
neglect of duty under PNP MC No. 2020-029.
Sotto
proposed measure seeks to require public officers and employees to annually
submit a medical certificate as a means to ensure that they are in a state of health
that would enable them to perform their tasks satisfactorily and provide prompt
and adequate service to the public.
In
this bill, any public officials and employees who fail to submit the mandatory
medical certificate shall be considered as an administrative offense.
Sotto
explained in his explanatory note that in
keeping with the commitment of public officers and employees to remain sincere
and transparent to the Filipino people, the bill shall allow access to, for
lawful purposes, the medical certificate filed. Be it noted, however, that it
excludes the inspection or reproduction of the laboratory test results attached
to it in recognition that these are confidential and private documents.
The
medical certificate required under this bill must be issued by a government physician
after proper evaluation of the public servant’s physical examination and
laboratory test results.
The
medical certificate shall be submitted every first quarter of the year, on or
before April 30, to give ample leeway for the conduct of the physical exams and
release of laboratory test results.
It
aims to utilize such a requirement as a tool in promoting the well-being of the
people working in the government and raise the level of their health
consciousness as it would necessarily require them to undergo physical examination
every year.